Vendetta
by JenTWCSINYFAN
Summary: Bosco's sister is brutally attackedby a madman. She's married to a firefighter on Squad 55. And he may find love with A doctor who treated her. But is it over when the man is presumed dead or is it just beginning
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note:The Jack Trapper character is well someone elses, Mercy Darkrose to be exact. Borrowed him here for other reasons**

She wasn't supposed to be attracted to him. He was a cop and rather loudmouthed and sometimes arrogant. But yet there he was Maurice "Bosco" Boscorelli. She'd seen something else there in his eyes, a softness possibly. His sister Morgan had been recently brutally attacked by Jack Trapper, a psychopath who had also killed her childhood friend and neighbor Kate Walsh. Now the sick lunatic was dead at least which was one good thing in this nightmare. It was so hard to go in there and see Morgan so still and quiet. She had almost had her throat sliced but was stopped by her brother and a swarm of NYPD that were waiting outside for the news she was about to go deliver to them. Her brothers firehouse was there as well since Morgan's husband on six months JD Hart worked there.

She pulled off her gloves and surgical mask and tossed them into a nearby trash container as she walked down the long hall to the waiting area of Intensive Care. Her face looked tired and her wavy auburn hair fell around it as she pulled it from it's ponytail holder.

" Hart?" She inhaled slowly. "Well here is the situation with Morgan. She suffered numerous stab wounds to her chest and abdomen which we were able to repair. One slightly lacerated her left lung and we have her on a repirator until that heals. She also had some minor throat damage from the wound to that area. We have her in a coma so that her body can begin to heal as well as her mind. You can sit with her for a few moments every hour two at a time. She will recover but for now we want her to rest and remain calm as much as possible."

Ava told them and then sunk into an empty chair lowering her head for a moment. She remembered all too well this same scene with Kate and how they hadn't been able to save her that night. She felt someone touch her arm gently and raised her head slowly. She said "Bosco." It was soft and low from her fatigue after the long surgery."

He said" You ok? I just wanted to say thank you for well saving her life. "You don't know what it means to me."

Ava said "Part of the job Officer nothing more." Her eyes looked moist for a moment.

Bosco nodded. "I know that's how Morgan says you are, but this one was more than that for you. " He found himself moving toward her and gently kissing her forehead. Then he backed off wondering if he'd overstepped or something.

Ava smiled. "That was nice, this one ended on a good note for me, not like Kate. I'd like to see more of you, I'm off in two hours would you like to get a coffee? I'll meet you at the nurses station onf our if you want that."

He replied "It's a date Doc. "


	2. In Deeper

Two hours later: Ava came out of one of the locker rooms dressed casually in a burgundy colored track suit with cream colored stripes on the pant legs. Her auburn hair hung loosely around her shoulders in slight waves. She had ruby colored lipstick on her lips as well. Her tank top under her track suit was also burgundy and scoop necked which showed her rather impressive chest off. Usually her scrubs for at work were looser so they hid it, she wore more form fitting things off of work.

She saw Bosco waiting at the nurses station and sort of pacing a little. She walked up to him and said" Did you think I'd stand you up?"

He replied "Wasn't sure, what would a doctor want with a cop like me? Everybody knows about my family in here , all of it and it isn't pretty."

Ava nodded. "If I judged people by their family alone I wouldn't have wanted to go out with you. I like you for yourself and no matter what crap you have gone through in your life that's what matters to me the most. Nothing else does."

Bosco touched her arm gently. "Thank you for that, you have a set of stones like your brother it seems, remind me to stay on your good side honey."

Ava smiled. " Well I was the only girl in my family after three boys. My mom thought I was going to be her fourth all along in the pregnancy. She didn't even pick a girls name when I was born. My dad liked Ava from some old movie actress and the boys liked Michelle ." "Derek or DK is a firefighter like our dad, Matthew is a paramedic and Max is a veterinarian."

Bosco nodded. "I'm a cop, my brother Mike is well on drugs at the moment and you know Morgan, ma owns a bar and my father well he's not around our lives ."

They walked out the door of the hospital with their hands slightly touching . They went into the all night diner across from the hospital parking lot to sit and have some quiet.

Ava found a back table in a corner with two chairs. She said" I come in here sometimes after a bad night. I'm addicted to their devils food cake at times."

Bosco said" Doesn't show on your body."

Ava smiled. "Thank you, I have my moms metabolism. I can eat about anything I want and it burns right off. Thought once I hit thirty it would change but so far it hasn't. "

Bosco nodded. "You have DK's eyes, the brown I mean."

She said" Yeah I do, my other brothers have moms blue ones. And my nose wasn't broken like his one time in the academy training."

Bosco said" So what's your apartment like? I'd offer to take you to mine but since Morgan moved to JD's I uh haven't housecleaned that well."

Ava replied" Follow me and I'll take you there unless you have your car here at the hospital."

He replied" I don't my ma used it to go home earlier with Sully. So I can get a ride with you then doc."

She said "All right follow me then ."

Five blocks and twenty minutes later: They rode in her gunmetal gray Nissan Pathfinder to a large apartment building about five blocks from Angel Of Mercy Hospital. Her particular one had a bright blue door on it and three small steps to go inside. 

Bosco commented. " Nice door."

Ava chuckled. "The lady who used to live here painted it that way , I haven't had the heart to change it . She was sweet and older. Kind of makes me feel good to see it when I'm tired."

Bosco said" Yeah never give mine much of a thought I guess other than locking it when I leave the place."

Ava opened it quietly and turned on her entryway light, stopping to turn off her silent alarm system. Then she said "This is well my entryway and then you can see my living room over there."

He nodded and moved to a huge looking couch. " You must make good money being a doctor."

She said"It pays the bills and my school loans, keeps me fed and clothed, you know."

He shrugged. "Yeah I know you work hard for it too, according to Morgan anyway."

Ava smiled. "So your sister has said a lot about me then I'm flattered. She's one of the best nurses that I work with. She's a good friend." She wandered over and picked up a picture of Kate that was on a table with a lot of others. She said" You might know Billy Walsh, this was his sister, Kate Walsh. She and I grew up together and were best friends. She would have been a kick ass attorney with the DA's office had Trapper not interfered in that."

For a moment her hand ran over the frame of the picture slowly and gently.

Bosco moved over to her and held her from behind gently. " You're not over it yet are you?"

Ava sighed. "No I'm not, it hurts sometimes. I miss her when I go and see my family out there and I remember. Billy has done better with it than I thought. He has one other sister, his twin Bridget . She was like mine, it's complicated."

Bosco stood there not sure what to say. He just lifted her into his arms and moved down the hall with her to her bedroom. Then he laid her gently on the huge bed and moved himself onto her slowly. He said"I won't do anything you aren't ready for , I just want to not be alone right now."

Ava reached out for him and pulled him to her. "I want you with me ,in me and just to make me feel life again. "

He said" That I can do lady, that I can definitely do." She gave him protection from her drawer and slowly pulled off the top she was wearing and her bra. She was also on birth control of her own so they were safe.

The blankets on her bed were lifted over them and their bodies came together tenderly but also passionately.


	3. Fright and Taking Control

Authors note: Thanks to Norma for the help with this chapter, she'll know why.

Two hours later, two thirty am: Ava rolled over in bed and heard her cell phone beep. She groaned hoping it wasn't a crisis at the hospital. This morning was her only day off this week before Saturday at seven pm. She answered "Hello."

**A deep voice spoke on the end. "You're naked for that cop you little slut aren't you? Does he make you all wet for him?" "I can see him in your bed beside you I'm right outside on the street."**

**Ava said" Who is this? How did you get my number , i don't know you and it's none of your business who is in my bed."**

**The man replied" I'm your worst nightmare sweetheart, you think what happened to Kate and Morgan was horrible, you haven't seen anything yet. That was a kiddie parade compared to what I want with you my dear."**

**Ava began to shake while sitting up in bed and tears rolled down her face slowly. "I don't even know who you are and why do you want to frighten me like this ? I lost a friend because of you, well almost two."**

**Bosco saw that her face had gone pale and he gently took the phone from her hand. "Who is this? " Then the man hung up on him when he spoke.**

**Ava got up out of bed , pulling her robe around her and moved toward the bathroom quickly. She felt her stomach trying to move up to her throat and knew she was going to be sick. It was a family thing when they got emotional.**

**She got down to her knees in front of her toilet and was sick once. Then she sat there and shivered sobbing softly.**

**Bosco came in to see if she was all right. He knelt behind her gently holding her against his chest. " What is it?" His voice was soft knowing something had just scared the hell out of her.**

**She swallowed and said" The man on the phone said he knew that I was in bed with you, and that what he had in store for me was nothing compared to how he attacked Kate and Morgan. He said he was outside watching me and asked if I was naked for you and wet." **

**Bosco blinked and then looked at her. "I'll be right back. It will all be taken care of in a few minutes."**

**He got on his own cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey Jelly, I need a call traced from this cell number can you get that? Well she is already off of the phone but the jagoff says he's outside her apartment. A new friend of mine, Thanks doughnut man I owe you. Yeah an RMP may be a good idea when I get done having a little chat with him."**

**He hung up then. " Honey stay here, I'll be right back. "I'm sorry that this happened but it will be all right now . You're safe I promise."**

**Ava nodded. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you like this, usually I'm much stronger and not the hysterical female type."**

**Bosco said" Hey if someone said those things to me about people I cared for I'd be freaked out too."**

**He pulled on his shirt and jeans to go outside and see if the guy was still there.**

**Ava heard him yelling at someone a short time later and opened one of her drapes a bit. She saw Bosco with a scared looking teenage boy that was against her car with his hands on the hood. Then he grabbed the kids shirt and appeared to be pulling him somewhere toward her front steps.**

**There was a knock at her door and Bosco said" Someone wants to apologize before he goes downtown on a little ride."**

**Ava opened the door a bit to put her head out. She said" You seriously need some psychiatric help, do you think scaring people and stalking them is funny? I want you in jail , how old are you, nineteen?"**

**Bosco said" I'm going to take him to one of our cars and then we can go in yours for you to formally file charges since i assume that is what you want."**

**Ava said" Oh definitely , let me get dressed and I'll be ready in ten. Nobody screws with my head like that for kicks and gets away with it. He should just be glad my brother wasn't here or he'd be missing a few teeth."**

**Bosco smiled. "And you thought I couldn't get along with him , go figure."**


	4. Breaking Points

**Later the next morning: **

**It had taken about an hour to fill out some of the paperwork for Ava to press charges on her crank caller and then they returned to her apartment again. She moved inside and picked a picture up off the fireplace in the corner and then swept it to the floor with her arm quickly. It hit the floor and the glass in the frame broke with a crunching sound. Then she did it with a second one and just stood there not even bothering to move to pick them up almost numb.**

**Bosco blinked. "Whoa are you ok? What was that about?"**

**Ava said" I don't really know I'm tired of hurting and tired of the only place that I see Kate anymore being in one of those. I can't even go home to see my parents or to the old neighborhood because all it does is make me think of her and how I failed that night. I would do anything to have been able to bring her back and I can't . I haven't even talked to Billy recently since it happened because it brings it all back up." Her eyes began to fill with tears and she just slowly dropped to one part of the floor that wasn't glass covered and rocked kind of hugging herself.**

**Bosco just went to her side and sat down with her holding her in his arms not sure what else would help or even if it was what she needed at the moment.**

**He gently touched her hair and her face as he held her against his left shoulder giving her contact and comfort.**

**After a while she clicked back to reality again. She said" you must think I'm a mess huh? I mean I just start breaking things right in front of you for no reason and then crying."**

**Bosco said" Well if you'd seen some of the fights between my parents when I was a kid this is nothing. I'll help you clean it up though if you want." He gently kissed her neck. "I have to work later to probably do paperwork from our adventure last night, but you can call my cell phone."**

**Ava nodded. "I'm off and then I work until Saturday at seven pm after midnight tonight. If you want on Sunday I'll make you breakfast or something." **

**Bosco smiled slightly. "Sounds nice, I'd like that." Then he got up to find something to clean the broken glass up with for her. He turned the picture over in the frame nearest him and said "Nice tan in that one I like it."**

**Ava said" That was the barbecue the Walshs had for Kate when she got great scores on her tests to enter law school. I was playing water volleyball with DK and Billy and with her. If you want the part that I'm in you can have it for yourself."**

**Bosco said" Another time, only time I've gone swimming was at Coney Island once. Not a big thing for me."**

**Ava looked at him. "I'll dial back on the family stuff , I can tell you're not used to that. She started to help him clean up and was quiet again.**

**He touched her arm. "Don't think you can't show emotion or talk about anything with me all right? I don't want that to be on your mind. I want to get to know you more even if I'm not that great sometimes at communicating."**

**Ava gently kissed his cheek. "Thank you, I'm just embarrassed that I lost it in front of you twice now so early on us knowing each other."**

**He nodded. " Hey you need to let that stuff out or it just eats at you. Besides if you did talk to someone other than me it might help. Go see your mom or call her, I think you need to do that right now. You need to open up and let go of some of it. "**

**She replied" Maybe you're right, they wanted me to get grief counseling when it first happened, maybe now isn't too late to see someone now and then."**

**He shrugged. "You have me in your corner no matter what you decide. That won't change for any reason. Why don't you go by the firehouse this afternoon and see your brother? It may be good to go back in there again. I just need a ride to my place to get ready for work and hopefully my ma brought my car back there."**

**Ava said" You're right it has been a while since i visited Derek and the guys at work. Thank you for that idea." She kissed his lips softly. **

"**You're welcome." He paused. "Why don't we go grab some coffee and a bagel or something and then after you can see my humble place such as it is. "**

**Ava said" Let me just get dressed a moment and then we'll go. " She went to her bedroom and pulled on jeans and a cream colored tank top under her denim jacket with some flowers down one sleeve. "Ok I'm ready then, I know a good bagel place not far from here that has every kind imaginable and great kick ass coffee as well."**

**Bosco smirked. "Hmm you're cute when you say kick ass, I like it. I thought only female cops did that. You're something Ms. Kitson."**

**Ava smirked in return. " Well you have one cute dimple Officer Boscorelli you know that? Even as tough as you are on the street. I know that Morgan calls you Mo and well the other cops I see call you Bosco, but what do you think of me calling you Reese as my well name when we are together."**

**He thought for a moment. "Reese, hmm , yeah I can deal with that, just so you don't call me late for dinner baby."**

**Ava smiled. "Not likely once you've tried some of my meals." **

**Then they left to head to eat and to his apartment so he could get ready for work.**

**This was something different for both of them but yet they needed the other in their life.**


	5. Long OverDue Visits

Outside the squad 55 firehouse: Ava sat in her car for a while listening to whatever played on her CD player. She would look at the building and then down at the floor of her Pathfinder. She thought you're being ridiculous , go inside and see your older brother. It doesn't have to be a long visit if you're not up for that right now.

She took a deep breath and then got out of her car closing and locking the door behind her even though she was parked right across from a police precinct in this lot. Then she slowly walked toward the bright red door. Some things hadn't changed it seemed since last time she'd been in the neighborhood.

Opening the door slowly, she moved inside and up the old well worn wooden stairs hearing the same squeak in the third from the top as she climbed. For a moment she stood in the kitchen inhaling tomato sauce and garlic in the air.

She noticed Joe over the stove cooking and figured it had to be his three cheese ziti on this day.

He turned and said " Well Ava how you doin? Long time no see there doc."

Ava replied" Been a while for sure Joe, your pasta smells wonderful as usual, I missed that." She paused for a moment then. "Is my big brother around?"

Joe said" I think upstairs on his bunk, yell before you go up, Doherty is in the shower I'm thinking."

Ava said" Thanks I will, wonder if he will ask me out yet again while I'm here."

Joe laughed. "I think he's over that by now."

Ava smiled slightly. "Hope so I'm otherwise interested and involved at the moment."

She headed upstairs and said" Yo everybody decent, you have a guest approaching."

DK replied" Yeah we are if you don't mind Doherty's ugly face up here."

Ava laughed. " Well I see you still pick at him on a daily basis so nothing has changed around here."

DK said" Nope other than you comin by today, what's up with that?"

Ava said"I felt like I needed to see my brother and I had some free time in my day before work again tonight."

DK nodded. "Yeah, how's Morgan doin lately? Has to be rough on Bosco and her ma right now."

Ava said" She's still holding her own, she's a fighter , must come with her name. Hope to get her off the ventilator soon and see how she does."

DK exhaled. " Yeah , how are you doing with all of that? Can't be easy since you know. "

Ava said" There have been a few rough moments but I'm dealing, it's the nature of the job to try and heal the best we can."

DK looked at his sister for a moment. "How much weight are you down? You're looking a bit thin for your height and all."

Ava shrugged. " A few , like ten maybe. I have plenty to go around and I am 5'10." "Just sometimes I get busy and forget to eat that's all , you know what my life is like."

DK nodded. "Yeah and I also know you've had a hell of a year too Ava Michelle. When you feel like letting me in there we will talk seriously."

Ava said"I just wanted to see you Derek , not the third degree about my waistline or what I eat. You know what maybe this was a mistake coming here. I wanted to see if I could do it after everything and I guess I managed to screw another thing up where family was concerned. "

She sighed softly. "I'll see you around, be safe and have a good shift."

She went downstairs with DK following her and he yelled "Wait Ava stop, stay a while, no more questions or anything I promise if you aren't up for them."

She wasn't really looking and bumped smack into Billy Walsh. Her face got pink for a moment and then pale slowly. She stammered "I'm sorry I was on my way out and wasn't paying attention, hope you're ok."

Billy stopped and looked at her with his brown eyes. They had melted a few female hearts out in their neighborhood when he'd been growing up and still looking for a girlfriend. Since he'd fallen for Alex Taylor however there was only one lady in his life these days.

He said" Ava, wow been a long time honey, how are you?" His voice was calm and big brother like.

Ava blinked. " I know how long it's been Billy. I'm sorry I'm not ready to do this, not today. I still wish I would have saved her and could have you know, I let your family and you down most of all." Her eyes got damp looking.

Billy touched her arm gently. " Hey now, wait a second. I know you did everything that night that could have been possible. I don't blame you or hold you responsible in any way for what that bastard did. You suffered twice as much as us because you had to be there and try to fix damage that was beyond repair."

Ava's head lowered into her hands for a moment. Then she looked up at his face. "Damn it Walsh you made me cry, I don't do that for just anybody. I miss her so much."

Billy gently pulled her into a hug. "Me too sweetie, me too. Just promise me you won't be a stranger anymore around here. I need my other little sister hanging out now and then."

Ava smiled at him tentatively. "Thank you Billy I won't." Then she headed out the door slowly but yet felt much lighter.

She was walking to her car when she saw Bosco pull in. He was pushing a large tattooed black man toward the door in cuffs and talking a mile a minute at the guy.

She caught his eye and gave him a wink and a smile quickly before moving inside her vehicle.

Jimmy Doherty had come outside for fresh air and noticed that. He thought hmm so little Ava likes Boscorelli these days, wonder what big brother is going to have to say about that idea.


	6. Picking Up Shrapnel

Ava drove home after her visit to see her brother and picked up takeout pasta for her dinner. She placed it on her kitchen table and then started picking up some laundry to do before work. She needed to get some street clothes for Saturday night for after shift as well. She gathered her usual pale blue scrubs together and her lab coat to go over them. Then she put dirty things into her washer.

She had just sat down to eat her angel hair pasta with chicken in an Alfredo sauce when her cell phone beeped. She looked at her screen before answering. "Angel of Mercy Hospital." Then she swallowed the food in her mouth and answered it. " Kitson."

One of her nurses , Sarah Jacobs said " Doctor we need you to come in early. There are firefighters in here from a building collapse on Lexington and Arthur. A few need treated for cracked ribs and multiple contusions. The overflow they are sending to county to deal with."

Ava said" Ok I'll be right in, what squad?" She sighed knowing the odds were that it could be Derek's but then who knew in the city.

The nurse replied" 55 from who has come in so far, two guys are still trapped they said, someone decided to put a explosive device at Saint Marks school gym. We don't know how may kids were or are in there also besides the rescue folks."

Ava said" Give me a few minutes and I'll be right down there." She finished a little more of her food and then started to get ready to go. The hospital was going to be mass chaos for the next few hours and days. She hoped the kids were going to be ok and the trapped firefighters.

Twenty minutes later: Ava flew into the hospital parking lot and then in through the ER entrance. She looked around and saw massive amounts of people in the waiting area and in the trauma rooms. She just grabbed the nearest chart and then called a name. " Nichols." A little boy that was holding gauze to his forehead walked up slowly with his mother. He looked about seven or so.

Ava said" Hi I am Doctor Kitson, what do you think about me looking at your head for a moment. " The little boy nodded looking sad. She said" That is going to need a few stitches, if you come with me into that room over there with your mom I'll fix it up as good as new for you and even let you pick any lollipop you like for being a good boy."

The boys mother said "It's ok Timmy I'll be right beside you, let's let the nice doctor make things all better."

Timmy smiled a bit. "Ok I guess if I get free candy." They moved into a vacant exam room and Ava stitched the area above the boys right eyebrow. She said " You might even have a cool scar to show your friends if you like when this heals."

His mother nodded. "He isn't going back to that school anymore. I put him in a Catholic one because my ex husband wanted it that way and then this happened today. I can't believe someone would not know their children were bringing guns and bombs to an elementary schoool for gods sakes." Her voice cracked and she just hugged her son for a moment.

Ava took a slow breath. "I'm sorry maam for all of you in that, The hospital has excellent counseling programs available if you feel that you may need them to help."

The woman shrugged. "When does he have to come back and get the stitches out?"

Ava said" I'd like him in here in ten days if possible. You can make an appointment at the nurses station or there is a clinic across the street that can also take them out for Timmy."

The mother nodded. "Thank you doctor for helping him." Ava handed her instructions for how to keep the stitches clean and dry before they left.

Then she moved onto the next people in this mass of confusion. One of the nurses said" I have a friend of yours in Trauma Two. Walsh he said his name is. Got some nicely cracked ribs for himself and a sprained left knee."

Ava said" I swear it's never a dull moment around here for me ." She took the chart and headed toward the room where Billy was on the bed.

She said" So Billy twice in one day? You wanted to try out my bedside manner up close and personal huh?"

Billy said "If it didn't hurt like hell I'd laugh at that comment. Could you loosen the tape on my ribs, the nurse made it so tight I can't breathe very much."

Ava said" Sure I'd be glad too, but where's your personal paramedic right now?"

Billy's face got a bit pink. "She's on scene, I have never seen anything like that mess today. Total nightmare over at that school."

Ava nodded. "Just relax and I'll help you feel better . You're off that leg for at least a week and I want ice on it three times a day. For the ribs you're looking at a month or so right now. " She taped him again as she talked and then placed a brace on his knee to keep it immobile temporarily. "You also get a lovely set of crutches to take home with you later. For now get some rest and I'll order something for pain for you."

He said "DK is fine, he is still at the scene trying to get the kids and two of our guys out of the rubble. Probably going to be tired and sore later when he's done. Jimmy and Johnson are well in the mess yet."

Ava said' Both of those guys are tough, they will come out of it. My brother and Lombardo won't let anybody behind you know that no matter what."

Billy's eyes closed slowly. "Yeah I know. I wish right now I could hug Alex."

Ava smiled. "Well as soon as I see her come in here I'll send her back to you."

Billy said" Thank you." Some tears began to slide down his face slowly as Ava left the room.

She exhaled at least knowing her brother was ok and unscathed. Now she could focus on the people who weren't so lucky and help them get better. She hoped it wouldn't get more devastating as the night went on.

Then and ambulance came in and Alex Taylor and Bobby Caffey came in moving quickly. " Eight year old female with a GSW to the upper back , pulse 90/60 and resps fifteen. LOC times two minutes in the bus. We had her on saline by IV and in a backbrace for caution." Ava said "Billy is in trauma two."

Ava grabbed gloves and a mask. "Somebody call the OR I'm on my way up, we need the bullet out of this kid before she breaks down. " The parents ran after Ava who was pushing the gurney carrying their daughter and running.

She said "You'll have to wait outside on four that is where the PICU is, I'll be there as soon as I get her stabilized again."

She hit an elevator button and let the parents run inside. "Any allergies?"

The parents said" Bee stings yes, medicine wise no."

Ava nodded. "All right then, she's in good hands I promise you that."

Two hours later: Ava walked out and tossed bloody gloves and her mask into the trash can. "Dillon." The parents looked up from the chairs as they were waiting.

She said" The surgery went well, we were able to remove the bullet. It had lodged under your daughters left shoulder blade and she may have a scar but there should be no permanent damage. We'd like to have her in the PICU for the next 24 hours to monitor her while she recovers. You can see her, she will be in room number two. She's quite the fighter."

Her mother nodded. " Shannon was six weeks premature, so she's always been from the beginning . And she's not stopping now it appears."

The father said "Thank you doctor for helping her. Some good came out of that nightmare today."

Ava replied" You're welcome, that's what I do sir and why I went into medicine in the first place."

She moved to a chair to stretch her back for a moment. Sometimes it got tired after she operated for a while. Then she inhaled slowly and stood up to head back downstairs to see who her next patient would be. One surgery down and probably a few more before her night ended. She stopped for a moment at Morgans room to just see her friend.

She walked in and looked at her chart for a moment. "Morgan you're missing all the excitement downstairs. We have a bombing and school shooting. Some of the Squad 55 guys got banged up but they will be ok. I just wanted to stop and say hello. I'll come back later."

Back downstairs again: Ava treated back sprains for Stu Lotta Z's and JD and put them in the same room to rest a while. She said "Any word on the trapped guys yet?"

JD said" They think they are close to getting through the wall in front of them that went down. Doherty's kid is in there with him and Lieu. We know somebody busted their leg but that's it. The medics are going crazy , there are three squads there and over a hundred kids and teachers in that place at the moment."

Ava sighed. "You both get some rest and you can go home in a few hours if you like. I'm going to have a wild one ahead of me . Sometimes I hate this job." She moved toward the nurses station and signed off on a few completed charts that she'd done.

One of the other doctors, Doctor Burke said "Can you believe this mess and at a kids school? What is happening to the world and our kids? Parents think they are safe there and it turns out they aren't."

Ava shrugged. "It bites all the way around but all we do now is pick up the pieces for the wounded the best we can and then try and make sense of it somehow later."


	7. Out Of The Concrete

Two hours later: Ava got a moment to catch her breath and even sit down. The most critical patients were all taken care of and now they had a few minor ones with bruises or sprains from the impact of the explosion or after the shooting. They were still waiting for status on the two trapped firefighters at the scene and a possible child in there as well. Then finally the paramedics burst through the doors again. "Ten year old male, broken left arm and multiple cuts to the face and body. Also possible broken left ankle. BP 100/ 80 and resps fifteen. Passed out in the bus when we went to move the ankle to check the injury. Also was in shock on scene. Would not leave his father without a fight."

Ava said" Get him into trauma one and I need someone from pediatrics down here now. " Then it clicked who the little boy was. "This is Joey Doherty, someone needs to find his mother and get her down here since we don't have a parent present at the moment."

She moved to the small boys side. "You'll be ok Joey and so will your dad, I'll do everything I can for both of you I promise."

She started to clean some cuts on his face and neck and removed some glass splinters gently. She wondered who would do this to such an innocent little boy and why at his school of all places.

Then Kim flew into the hospital and found Ava working on Joey.

She said" How bad is he?" Ava replied" Broken left arm and ankle, multiple cuts that need cleaned. What is concerning me most is that he hasn't come around when there was no head injury. Could be his way of trying to deal with what he saw. Jimmy's still trapped there with Lieutenant Johnson and I don't know when they are coming in. "Nieto and Levine told me they had to pry this little guy away from his father to get him treated here."

Kim sighed. "Thank you for doing what you can for him Ava. I'll just sit outside until you're finished. I always was afraid of something like this happening to Jimmy and having to tell Joey why, now I guess that day has come."

Ava said" Hey one thing I know is Jimmy is a fighter and he won't give up on his son. They will find them both and get them help. I know DK won't let anyone in there or rest until they are all out of that place."

Kim nodded. "You're right, thank you." She moved over to the side of the room and sat down quietly. The waiting had begun.

Ava began getting casts ready for the broken bones on Joey and setting them carefully. She looked at the little boy and noticed how much he favored his father for the first time. Even had the same dimples. She finished and tucked a blanket carefully around him. "You can sit with him Kim and I'll see if there is any news."

Kim nodded and held Joey's small hands in hers. She just sat there beside her son and kept telling him that she was there softly and that she loved him.

Ava walked back out to the nurses station. "Any word on the firefighters yet?"

One of the nurses, Tammy Sciuto replied "They say they are slowly getting them out of there. They aren't good though so we need to be prepared for the worst."

Ava said" One of those men has a son in trauma one and we are not losing his father is that understood. I'm not doing that to a little boy who has been through hell already today as god is my witness."

Tammy nodded. "Ok then we will do everything possible for them that we can and the rest well that may need a miracle or two."

Ava said" Ok then get me a team together and an OR ready, when they get here we may need all hands on deck to see how bad off they really are."

Tammy heard their radio go off. "Injured firefighters on route, they are out repeat, they are both out. Two others need treated for exhaustion and sore muscles from scene. ETA ten minutes out."

Ava said "OK people lets get the show on the road, the firefighters are coming in , it's game time."


	8. Repairs Begin

Nine eleven pm: The ambulances arrived with Jimmy Doherty and Lieutenant Johnson in each one. Joe Lombardo and DK were also in them but could walk into the ER under their own steam just barely. They both dropped slowly into chairs and wiped sweat and concrete dust and other grime off their faces with their forearms.

Bobby Caffey and Alex Taylor had the stretcher that carried Lieutenant Johnson on it first. His face was filthy from concrete dust and it was even in his hair making it look like it had more gray areas than normal.

Bobby said "48 year old male, BP 117/ 75, resps 15, possible collapsed left lung, he's not moving much air on that side. Also tib fib fracture of the right leg and he's got something abdominal going on, think he tore a muscle he's tender and distended." "Also possible broken right shoulder or elbow"

Ava said "I'll take him to OR one thank you."

Twenty seconds later in came Jimmy Doherty. He was very still and motionless with blood and concrete chips on the left side of his face. His eyes were closed and his chest moved up and down slowly .

Carlos said "34 year old male, BP 116/67, resps 10, multiple broken ribs, possible ruptured or lacerated spleen, broken right elbow, concussion from falling debris at the scene of the accident." LOC times three minutes."

Another doctor that was Asian and female said" Someone get OR two ready and get me Ortho down here yesterday. Hell two of them since we have this many broken bones to mend."

They heard the doors whooshing behind the stretchers and then silence. Joe sat there with his head in his hands for a moment as a nurse came to wipe his face and balding head off gently with cool water on a cloth.

She said "Are you all right?" She was a curvy attractive brunette named Norma something on her tag.

Joe replied" Well honestly no I'm not, my best friend is in surgery and was beaten to hell today for wanting to get his son out of his school safely. My boss and father figure is in the other Operating room right along with him fighting for his life. But other than that things are just freaking peachy ."

The nurse said" Follow me, we'll get you some fresh clothing and a soft bed, you're emotionally and physically exhausted right now. Is there anyone you want called to come down?"

Joe shrugged. "No, there isn't anybody. I'll be fine."

DK heard all of that and blinked. He wondered where the hell Linda was but seeing Joe's face decided not to ask that question right now at this time. It could wait."

Another nurse who looked Hispanic started to tend to DK. She said" You're Ava's brother or Doctor Kitson's?" "She always treats the nurses here well and like people so we'll take good care of you. Come with me and lets get you some rest shall we?"

DK said" My girlfriend Bridget Walsh needs called , just tell her I'm ok. She may already be here since her brother is somewhere, Billy."

The nurse said" Yes I believe she's up on three with him, since we admitted him for observation overnight. I'll have her paged to come down here for you."

DK said "Thank you." He started to slowly remove his gear with arms that felt like limp noodles at the moment. He just wanted to sink into oblivion or Bridget's arms whichever came first right now.

Joe managed to get himself undressed as well and into the goofy hospital gown thing. He hated those but knew he had to wear it until he could go home tomorrow. He laid back on the bed with the blanket around his waist and looked toward the window in silence. For once he had the room to himself without someone from the squad being around or in it with him. He put his head onto the pillows and closed his eyes slowly not knowing tears were falling down his cheeks in the silence of the room.

Operating room One: Ava began surgery on Lieutenant Francis Johnson carefully. She said" Well definite collapsed lung on the left side, also small puncture there." She stitched it up and reinflated carefully before closing that area back up. Then she moved on to his abdomen to see what was torn there and bleeding. She said" Somebody give me suction, he tore a muscle and he's got a bleeding vein that I need to clean off to cauterize. Damn what the hell went on in that building today with him?"

She got the wounded area clean and patched it up covering it with a sterile dressing and adhesive tape.

"He's stable for now, let's get the elbow done."

The orthopedic doctor on call Doctor Shawn Jennings was to put it midly an arrogant jerk. He said" Well this elbow is no big deal, here i have a second one in two waiting for me. He's just a firefighter anyway not like he's one of us."

Ava's eyes flashed at that comment. "Shawn that was out of line. He got hurt saving lives today of innocent people, that makes him a hero to me, get your job done and then go play Ortho God someplace else, you disgust me ."

Shawn set the elbow and tended to some swelling around it. "Ok I'm gone, he'll be fine now."

Ava heard the door whoosh behind him and them said "Let's get him upstairs to the ICU please. I want him there for the next twenty four at least to be monitored closely. "

The nurses nodded. "He needs a call made to his girlfriend a Beth Taylor, poor woman to have to go through this."

Ava said "I'll do that, she knows me." "I'll be up there in five."


	9. Heroes in Disguise

Authors Note: Thank you to Mercy Darkrose for the help again, you know why and who you are.

Ava went back into operating room two after updating Beth Taylor on the status of Lieutenant Johnson . She looked and saw that Jimmy was internally a mess. She said' How did we not know about this at the beginning?"

One of the nurses replied" He started to bleed out after you left. " Ava started to cauterize a burst blood vessel near his left lung.

Then someone else said" Doc look at his liver." Ava looked and exhaled slowly. " It's decimated, we're going to have to close him up and then I get to tell his ex wife and son that is upstairs that I'm sorry but he didn't make it despite everything that we tried to do." She saw black plastic shards inside his abdomen and carefully began to remove them. "Bag them and hand them to any available police officer outside those doors so we can figure out what the hell was in that school."

The intern that was assisting said "Wait what's his blood type?" Ava looked at his chart for a moment. "B positive."

The intern flew out of the operating room doors to the firefighters and police waiting around for word. She said"I need people with B positive blood to get in line please, we need someone to donate a part of their liver to a very injured firefighter in surgery now."

Four people immediately rolled up their sleeves to donate and some others just wanted to give to help him if he needed it.

Then out of the corner Bosco spoke up. "I'm B and I'll give him what ever he needs, he's got a kid that needs a father even if he is a bucketboy."

Ava said" Follow me. I must warn you that the operation to get what we need will be serious and you will be in pain for a few days afterward when you recover."

Bosco said "Yeah I'll deal I have before, let's just get it done already."

Ava said" Ok then follow me, you'll have to be prepped for surgery immediately and I'll be in there with you. Is there anyone who should be informed that you're doing this?"

He shrugged a little. "My ma's upstairs with Morgan and JD. She's got enough on her plate so if somebody tells her don't freak her out."

Sully said" I'll go and tell her, she will handle it better from me. You're doing a great thing Bosco hope you know that."

Bosco said "Yeah Yeah, don't make me a hero over it or anything, it's helping someone stay around to see his kid grow up that's all."

Ava got a nurse and they moved Bosco to get him ready to go into the OR where Jimmy was waiting on the table. The team was minimizing other damage that they could as fast as possible.

Bosco was wheeled in and blinked at how Jimmy looked. He had never seen him that pale or still before in all the years they'd know each other. Now he would finally make the ultimate sacrifice for him, friendly rival or not.

Both men were put under and the transplant surgery started carefully. Ava watched from outside the OR since she was personally involved with both men or knew them well. It was textbook and went smoothly. Doctor Yang made a thumbs up sign after the four hour mark.

Ava moved outside shedding her gloves and surgical mask and found the group waiting for word. "Well everybody , firefighter Doherty is going to be all right with time. He required some work on his liver and luckily we found a direct match from one of the police officers in the building tonight. He will be in the ICU , well both of them will be for a while as they heal. This time we go one hell of a save folks let's just take a moment and be grateful for that shall we."

She stretched her back slowly and moved into the lounge that was near where the groups gathered talking and being happy. Her hand ran over her face slowly and she lowered her head to the back of the couch that she was sitting on or had rather just dropped onto.

Then her brother walked in to the room with Bridget. "Hey are you ok? This has had to be one hell of a day and night for you. "

Ava blinked for a moment. " To be honest I haven't had time to think about myself that much if at all. I have a friend upstairs in ICU that just saved one of your coworkers by donating a part of his liver to him. And before you even start in on me it is Bosco and yes I want to know him better. If you push me on this , you will be out of my life Derek."

DK blinked. "You and uh Bosco, well that may take some time to get used to but ok, hell he just saved Jimmy's life so that's gotta count for a lot."

Bridget nodded. " Takes a damn big person to volunteer something like that without concern for themselves, sounds like the guy your sister should be with or that your parents would want for her."

DK shrugged. "Well if he makes her happy then that's all she needs."

Ava said" He does a lot. Reese isn't like that guy on the street with the mouth and the stones all the time. He does have a soft side to himself that's in there, you just have to find it."

DK nodded. "Ok, you need some quiet and I want to check in on Lieu before I leave here."

Ava hugged her brother for a moment. "Thank you for not being those men in my surgeries tonight. I couldn't have handled that when this is a shitty enough work day. I love you D."

DK said" Hey right back at you and you're welcome." He kissed his sister gently on the cheek and moved out the door with Bridget slowly.


	10. Her own wounds

Ava moved toward the doctors lounge and went inside. She sat down on the well worn couch and pulled her feet under her legs slowly, in a cat like position. She sat that way for a while just kind of in a daze not really hearing activity around her or anything. It had been one of the worst days of her career so far at this hospital. Then she saw him standing there over her. She blinked. "How did you get in here this is for doctors only."

He replied" Give me vicodin now bitch, lots of it." Ava looked at him. "There aren't any meds in here you'll have to go somewhere else." He grabbed her around the throat poking a blade of a knife into it. "You're going to find me some meds or I slice that pretty throat of yours wide open. You wouldn't want that to happen in here now and get blood all over would you?"

Ava blinked. "No I wouldn't. Just come with me and I'll get what you want, please don't hurt me." She could feel the blade poking into her throat and some blood beginning to come to the surface. She went slowly down the hall to where the meds were kept and punched in her four digit code to unlock the narcotics supplies.

The guy said "This is takin forever, I want my pills."

Ava said"I'm getting them as fast as I can sir." Then the cabinet popped open and Ava grabbed a bottle . "Here take them, you got what you wanted now go."

He said " Yeah it was a pleasure doing business with you, I wish all doctors were as easy to deal with." Then he punched her in the left side of her jaw. "That's in case you get stupid and tell any cops that I was here after I leave."

Ava saw stars for a few moments. "I won't I promise just leave , I helped you and you hurt me why?"

He said" Why not? Doctors who steal drugs is a crime right, you just hurt your job for helping me out." Then he was gone from the room .

Ava went slowly to the nurses station and felt a bruise already forming on her face. She said "I need an ice pack and the police called right away." She sat down slowly and tears began to well up in her eyes .

One of the nurses came over. "You're bleeding doc , what happened?" Ava said "I really don't know for sure, I was in the lounge minding my own business and this guy came out of nowhere wanting vicodin. He put a knife to my throat until I gave him a bottle, and then he hit me afterwards. Told me not to call the cops since I got the drugs for him."

She shuddered as she sat there with ice on her face. " Can you find my brother for me or someone please?"

The nurse nodded. "You need to go home, well find coverage for you."


	11. Even Doctors Need Rest

Ava said "I'll be fine, I'll find a space in the lounge and do charts or something for a while. Work doesn't stop because I get a little bit beaten up does it?"

The nurse shrugged for a moment then said" Ok suit yourself, but at least find a police officer and talk to them at some point."

Ava saw Ty Davis approaching her and she said "Hey Ty do you have a moment? I need to tell you something and I'd like to do it in the lounge if possible."

Davis said "Sure what do you need?" Finney was nearby and went to get himself some coffee in a different area.

Ava walked into an empty exam room and locked the door behind her. "I had a junkie attack me tonight wanting Vicodin pills. He had a knife to my throat and then popped me in the left side of my face for good measure after he got his drugs. He had greasy black hair, was probably about 6'1 or so and had this tattoo of a pair of dice on his neck with the number 35 underneath it. Sounded Hispanic to me, had really bloodshot blue eyes and smelled like mint and whiskey on his breath. Was kind of skinny in build too."

Ty said " Wow I usually get victims who don't give this much detail about the person who hurt them, you did very well. Now I will start getting a search team to find him and bring him in together. We'll get him don't worry."

Ava said" Thank you and please don't tell Bosco right now he needs to heal physically and I don't want him upsetting himself over me at the moment."

Ty nodded. "Ok no problem,I'll be in touch ." He saw Brendan drinking coffee and said "Come on Finney we have some trash to pick up off the street, you can take that with you in the car."

Brendan shrugged. "All right, beats sitting here watching paint dry anyhow."

Ava watched them leave and then got some charts to do in the lounge again hoping nobody else needed in there that badly tonight. She sat at the table and began working at a few charts not really concentrating at the moment just kind of making circles with her pen on the paper inside them at the top.

Then footsteps were heard coming into the room and Ava stiffened for a moment as she listened. Kim Zambrano came in and poured a cup of coffee for herself adding a little cream and sugar.

She said "Whoa Ava what happened to your face? It looks like hell."

Ava replied" It's nothing Kim, it will be fine in a few days. I really don't want to talk about it ." Her voice caught for a moment.

Kim nodded. "Well ok then just make sure you keep plenty of ice on that to help with the swelling and all . Jimmy's been coming around a bit then going back under."

Ava said "That's normal , he has been through a lot lately. I'll check in on him in a little while."

Kim said" You are allowed to take time for yourself in spite of what this day has been like for everybody involved. Promise me you'll find a way to decompress with someone you care about."

Ava shrugged. "I'll go lay down for a while later and shut it off, the best way for me is a warm bath and a little white wine when I am not working. I think sometimes about getting a pet for company but the only one my schedule can take would be a cat."

Kim said" If it helps you unwind go for it, you might just make a new friend. Anyway I'd better go back upstairs before Joey gets his Grandpa Doherty to buy him too much candy from the vending machines."

Ava said" That's what grandparents are for to spoil kids a little."

Kim smiled slightly and left the room then with her coffee in her hand.

Ava laid her head down on the table and fell fast asleep after a little while. Bridget Walsh walked in and saw her like that. She smiled and managed to move her to the couch with a pillow and blanket and cover her up. She gasped quietly when she saw the left side of her face but figured like everything else Ava would tell them in good time. She was probably worried about upsetting Derek over whatever it was. Though Bridget wished she didn't share the Kitson trait to carry the world on their shoulders until they finally crumbled . That was one thing that infuriated her sometimes with him of the few. Oh well she'd be here again just like always for him and for his sister.


	12. Cracks Begin To Form

Two hours later: Ava woke up and saw Bridget sitting at her feet on the couch. She said" How long was I out?"

Bridget replied" Two hours, seemed like you needed it. I helped move you from the table over here when I saw that you had crashed on a pile of charts."

Ava stretched slowly. "Thanks for that Bridge, it was nice of you."

Bridget said" So what happened to your face and throat ? And do I tell your brother or not right now."

Ava said"A junkie wanted vicodin and hurt me after I gave it to him. I told one of the police officers here what he looked like and all. No you don't tell Derek I will be fine in a few days, it's not a big deal, I can still work and everything."

Bridget sighed. "You know sometimes you just won't let yourself admit that anything scares you or makes you upset. We know you've been through a hell of a year but yet you won't let us in there to help you , you just want to keep going until you get stopped by something or someone."

Ava said "Hey, I have done nothing but bust my ass for the past year helping every firefighter who got hurt on the squad and the police at the precinct every day. Who needs this, screw it all anyway. Everybody thinks they know what I need and that I'm not doing right. I haven't even taken time to let myself feel either."

Bridget said "Hey fine then sit here and have a pity party for yourself, go ahead and wallow in it. Do what you want, we're done trying to help you deal." She got up and headed out of the lounge with a slam of the door.

Ava winced as the door banged and then just sat there on the couch for a moment. Who needed her or anybody anyway. Then she felt tears begin to sting her eyes and lowered her head. Nobody was making her cry in this place, not now." She inhaled slowly and stood up again. Time to get back to her job while she still had one.

She decided to go up and check on Jimmy and Lieutenant Johnson in their rooms for a while. She knew Jimmy would be more than likely back out of it again but now that Joey was in his room that would help him heal.

She moved to the elevator and pushed the button for the fifth floor ICU area. Nobody was in there for a change which was what Ava wanted. She got up there and checked on Lieutenant Johnson first. He was awake and Beth Taylor was by his side. She said" Good to see you awake Lieu, in another day or two we'll see about springing you if your vitals keep looking this good."

He replied" Good I rest better at home and I know I'm in good hands." He smiled at Beth who got slightly pink.

Ava said" Well you may have to do outpatient therapy for your elbow and leg but we can set that up later. Keep up the good work."

Then she moved into Jimmy's room and saw that he was also awake. He was looking at the dressing on his abdomen and said" Doc what happened here?" He pointed at it.

Ava replied" You needed a partial liver transplant. We had a donor that is two rooms down and also recovering. You'll be sore for a while and need some rehabilitation but you'll make a full recovery with time. You were very lucky from what I heard that building looked like that you were inside."

"Good to see your vitals are strong , but then FDNY doesn't take wimps does it?"

Jimmy smiled for a moment. "No maam and thank you for putting me in your capable hands."

Ava said "Even in the ICU you don't know what no means do you?" She spoke gently to him and moved to the next room over.

Morgan's and Bosco's. Luckily he was asleep when she went into check on them both. Things looked good and she told Morgan that she could get up and move around if she took it slow in the next day. And that possibly she'd release them in the next few if things continued to go so well.

Morgan said" Ava what happened to your face? "

Ava said "Not here, it's nothing, it will be fine in a few days."

Morgan said" Oh so you don't want me to tell Mo." She sighed. " When will you let someone take care of you for a change and stop trying to carry everybody else in the world on your back?"

Ava replied " I don't have time, I can't right now. I just upset everybody around me and depress them anyway. Just tell your brother that I checked in and I will see him later."

Morgan sighed. "Ok but you look exhausted , please get some real sleep soon for me."

Ava said "I will , you know it comes with being a doctor, we don't get a lot anyway."


	13. Fuel to the Fire

Two days later: Ava had another day off and she was gathering laundry into a basket to wash at the back of her apartment in her machine. She tossed things in the basket not really looking at them and then saw the NYPD shirt in the pile. For a moment she smiled remembering that night and how good it had felt to be held by him. She was just starting to separate a load when her doorbell rang. She had olive green track pants on that had a silver stripe down one leg and a matching tank top as she went to go get the door. Didn't anybody understand that her day off was her own time.

She opened it and saw JD of all people on her porch. She said" Hey come on in, what's up? Did something happen with Morgan? " She stood there near a chair in her living room."

JD replied "She popped a stitch this morning but they were able to sew her back up again just fine. She's worried about you and wanted me to come and see how you were."

Ava shrugged. "I'm fine, this is my day off and I'm doing laundry like I normally do when I can find time."

JD nodded. "Well then I'll tell her you're ok so she can concentrate on getting out of the hospital again instead of her friends health."

Ava looked at him. " Oh I see, everybody decided I'm this china doll who is just about to break into little pieces or something. Well I'm fine, sometimes I get tired and I don't want to explain myself to people. I was the surgeon on my best friend who was attacked by the same lunatic who hurt your wife. Kate died after I did everything possible. Morgan's here and will be fine. People think all I do is wallow in my own self pity and drag everyone else down with me. I won't do that anymore to anyone." She stopped to inhale for a moment.

JD blinked for a moment. "Damn girl when you unload it's worse than your brother on a bad night. I thought he was stubborn and Irish but you beat him by a mile when you get fired up. For the record I never thought any of what you just said. Everybody deals with loss in different ways. Yours is working and not going home to see your parents. I don't know who said all that stuff to you but they didn't ask us what we thought. "

He pulled something out of his pocket that was a folded paper. " Bosco asked me to give this to you when I came over. I didn't read it or ask what it said. He misses you being around and wonders what he did to push you away."

Ava sighed. " He did nothing I was hurt by a junkie a few nights ago and I didn't want him to see my face and get worked up. He's healing from major surgery and I didn't want him to have a setback. I'm off but I'll go see him in a few hours after my laundry is done. And I'm sorry J for what I said, I just get tired of everybody trying to read my mind sometimes."


	14. Can The Phoenix Rise From Her Ashes

Authors Note: The person who burns down Ava's townhouse building is Jordan Mann, son of Donald Mann who was killed in More Monsters , and runs the mob family that he had .

Two hours later:

He stood outside the building pouring gasoline and lighter fluid all over it. She just couldn't keep her mouth shut after he had gone and gotten the vicodin. Now he had the police breathing down his neck and stirring up heat on other matters of his organization. Well in the words of his father all liabilities must be eliminated which lead Jordan to this place and this point of action. She dated Officer Boscorelli also which would be a side bonus in the game. She wouldn't expect a thing outside her sheltered world not this doctor .

Ava had finished laundry and opened a Pepsi while sitting on her couch. She debated about ordering in Chinese for dinner and then going to see Reese later at the hospital so he knew she wasn't avoiding him. Then she began to smell smoke from outside and wondered if her neighbor was grilling steak out again or something. It was a crisp late summer night and had a slight breeze blowing. She moved to the window and saw that her front stoop was burning. So she called for help and then gathered some things into a travel bag calmly before realizing she needed a way out of there. Then she decided to break a window and climb out since she couldn't go to the front door. She broke it and some glass crinkled onto her carpeting and floor after she did it. She wrapped the strap of her bag around her hands before she got out the window and fell to the ground. Then there was a popping noise as the window above her blew out raining glass onto her upperbody and face . She felt it cut her and blood begin to drip down onto her clothes.

Then the wall above her gave way under the heat of the fire and it fell onto her before she could crawl out of the path of the bricks and wood that made it up. She laid there in a heap holding onto the bag with her things in it and moaned softly before the world went black around her.

Twenty minutes later the call came in: The guys were finishing dinner and the temporary Lieutenant Miller heard the tones go off. "Squad 55 , Ladder 100 , residential fire at 103 and Arthur. Bright blue door on the building involved. 86 and 45 on scene. "

DK said" That's Ava's place I know it.."

Lombardo replied" Man she would have gotten out, or may be at work. Let's wait and see when we get there."

DK said" I just have this sick feeling in my stomach right now that it's her."

Stu said" She's tough and she'd know to get out of there man."

They headed to the scene and saw the entire building crumple into itself. It was a total loss and just a pile of bricks and smouldering rubble. The guys went to put it out and then a paramedic with the name Roberts waved DK over.

"Do you know who this woman is?" Ava was curled up in a fetal position and unconscious holding something in her hands. They were cleaning various wounds on her face and neck and had her on oxygen. She also had a broken left shoulder and possible collapsed or punctured lung complicated by smoke inhalation.

DK blinked for a moment. "That's my sister, Ava Kitson. She's a trauma surgeon at Angel of Mercy Hospital , must have been off today." He had to look away for a second.

The paramedic said" I'm LeeAnn Roberts and we need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible, you can come and you might want to get your other family down there also."

DK said "I need one minute. " He went to talk to Lieutenant Miller who was filling in for Johnson and got permission to go with the ambulance. He said "Let's go she needs help more than anything right now."

The sirens were heard as the ambulance pulled away quickly. DK sat in the back with his sister just holding her hand and told her to fight this, that he needed her.

Then the heart monitor they had her on began to go ballistic. Roberts yelled to her partner " Step on it she's breaking down back here." She began to charge the paddles and moved DK to one side.

"Charging to 250." A jolt of electricity made her body rise up and down rapidly off the gurney.

Roberts muttered "Damn , nothing, charging to 350."


	15. The Healers Work Begins

Finally Ava's heart began to respond after the second shock slowly. The paramedic breathed a sigh of relief. "She's back but we need to get her there fast so she will stay stable. If she does this again I don't know if she'll come back to us." She yelled to her partner up front. "Callihan move it, we have a wounded doctor back here that needs treated right away."

DK's face was pale as he sat there just looking at his baby sister. She was the youngest and only girl. They'd been close since he was next in age more so than the older boys. But this was not the end of things and their time together he knew that.

Before he knew it they were in the hospital parking lot and the gurney was pulled off the ambulance very quickly. The paramedics rushed her inside and began spewing her stats to the team. "31 year old female, BP 110/65, pulse twenty , resps fifteen, went into Vfib in the bus times two minutes , broken shoulder, smoke inhalation, mutiple contusions and lacerations and possible spinal involvement, was pinned under bricks and debris after a hosue fire earlier tonight."

The doctors began to work on her when they saw who she was. "Get her into Trauma Two and I want a CT and a portable chest and spine done now." A petite African American female doctor was calling the shots . She saw DK watching from the entrance to the room and said "Get him out of here, he shouldn't see this right now ."

One of the nurses said "Come on DK we'll keep an eye on what's happening in there and update you as soon as we have something concrete, you may want to inform your family and get them down here."

Meanwhile as he sat there he dialed Bridget's cell. He waited for an answer and then got her voice mail. He said " Honey it's Derek, can you please come down to Angel Of Mercy as soon as you hear this? Ava's townhouse was burned earlier tonight and she's in bad shape. They had to restart her heart in the ambulance and I watched. " Then his voice cracked. "I need you, I can't say goodbye to her not now, not this way." He hung up then and took a deep breath slowly.

He dialed his parents number. His mother Mary Kitson answered the phone. "Mom it's Derek, Ava's townhouse was burned earlier tonight and she's in bad shape at Angel of Mercy hospital. I think you and dad should come into the city as soon as you can get here . She needs all of us right around here right now, the older boys included." He listened to his mother talk for a moment and then hung up after saying he was in the entrance way to the emergency room waiting in a chair there.

After a few minutes DK began to softly pray The Lord's Prayer. For some reason it felt right as he waited. He didn't even call anybody on the squad to tell them they just started to appear. Then he remembered that someone had to tell Bosco about this situation and it looked like it was going to be him at the moment. He inhaled and then asked the nurse for a piece of paper and pen. He wrote down a note about Ava and asked her to give it to the patient in room 523 with his cell number. He hated to do it this way but he didn't want to leave this floor in case there was another crisis with his sister.

Then he just alternated between pacing and sitting in a chair to wait. Little by little the guys on the squad came in. Billy was first having been on hydrant for his recent injuries to heal.

He said " Heard anything yet?" " She's tough man and she'll fight back from this."

DK sighed. "No, but what if she cant? How do I let her go if I need to do that?"

Billy replied" Same way I did with Kate, you hug her and tell her you love her and then it ends." He swallowed for a moment slowly.

DK said " I'm sorry I know it's still fresh for you. That was a pretty bad question to ask."

Billy shrugged for a moment. "No it isn't, you got me through and I'm here for you. She's my other little sister after all just like Kate was for you."

DK nodded. "Thank you, I needed that. Funny I can't eat salt and vinegar chips anymore without remembering her stealing the bag when we were out at your parents for picnics ."

Billy chuckled. "Why do you think my mom started buying two of them so you each could have your own favorite chips in private."

DK nodded. " Go figure she was the only one with good taste in junk food."

Billy touched his friends shoulder. " I'm here, she's going to fight back man you know that."

DK sighed. "She's in the best possible hands with her friends right now, they will help her that much I know."


	16. Battle Scars and Bad News

Two hours later: Ava was in the operating room after the doctors determined that one of the discs in her lower back had ruptured creating chips near her spinal column. They didn't have time to get family consent for the surgery but they knew her brother would want everything possible done to help her recover.

Doctor Bailey one of the other residents said" Let's get this thing done and closed up as fast and as carefully as possible, she is going to need plastics with some of those cuts on her face as well. Is Mark Sloan on call tonight? If so get him the hell in here stat."

One of the nurses said" Right away , nothing but the best for the doc here. I just hope we can make it better ."

Bailey said" We give her full attention people and all that we have starting now."

They finished the operation on her back which was very delicate and tenuous since the spine was a very tricky thing in itself.

Then Sloan came in and said "What do we have?" He blinked when he saw it was Ava on the table. "Holy Shit I didn't know it was really her, they told me but it didn't sink in until just now."

Bailey said" Well I did the hard work on her spine , so now you get to make her look beautiful again, go for it McHottie or whatever it is that the interns call you."

Mark replied" Actually I think it is McPlastic this week." He shrugged and started to repair the damage to Ava's face. She was a beautiful woman and he hoped to make her that way again. There were very deep lacerations below her eyes around her cheekbones that he started to repair first. He wondered what had happened to cause this and why. The woman had been through hell the past year and now this whole mess. It totally sucked to see her laying there defenseless and so vulnerable as he worked on her .

Meanwhile out in the waiting area: Doctor Bailey went out and said "Kitson family?" She was surprised to see so many FDNY uniforms looking at her as well as two patients in wheelchairs sitting there in a huddle.

She said" We operated on Doctor Kitson's spine. She suffered a ruptured disc in her lower back which blew and caused bone chips to enter the spinal column. Unfortunately there was also a great deal of bruising and swelling in there so time will tell if it affects her legs and lower body mobility. She's also suffered facial injuries and one of our best plastic surgeons is in there with her right now repairing those. She has a punctured left lung, multiple bruised or broken ribs, and a possibly crushed left hand that we know of so far."

She paused for a moment to let it sink in.

"It's going to be a long night and she will be in the ICU upstairs on five later. If anyone wants to wait you can go to that waiting room. I promise you that we are all doing the best we can for her and she has all of our attention on her."

DK said "Thank you doctor, at least we know she's got good people trying to help her. "

He said " Guys you can all go home if you want I'll be ok here, my family is on the way and I am sure Bridget will be here shortly , you can come back down in the morning and all ."

Billy said "Everybody it's up to you I'm staying personally. This is my family too."

DK swallowed when he heard Billy speak and lowered his head slowly.

Everybody turned away or went to get coffee and stuff from vending machines quickly.

Then Bridget came in with her high heeled boots clicking. "Babe what happened , is Ava ok or?"

DK looked at her . "She's about as far from ok as you can get honey." His voice choked and he cleared his throat.

Billy said"I'll get us some coffee and stuff then." He let his friend have a moments peace with his sister and went to call Alex to come down. His wife had always been another shoulder for DK when he needed one besides Bridget and now was the time that he did.

Billy had the same thing with Morgan . He thought maybe he'd go up to see her for a moment and just take five. He just hoped that what they had heard earlier was the worst and that things could only get better in the hours ahead.

He went up to the fourth floor and saw Bosco in the hallway getting slowly up out of a wheelchair. He said "Hey man should you be moving around like that ?"

Bosco said" The woman that I have recently fallen in love with is on another floor of this hospital fighting for her life and you're gonna stop me from finding out about her?" "Don't think so Walsh, not in this lifetime."

Billy said "Yeah well if you set yourself back you'll be hurting both yourself and her because she'll be pissed and trust me her Irish temper is not something you want to see in full force, I know this from growing up with that woman."

Bosco sighed. "Have you heard anything? All I got was a note saying she had been in a fire at her townhouse and was hurt and to call DK."

Billy said" Well she had an injury to her spine that was fixed, her face was beaten up pretty good, some plastics guy is in with her now and one of her hands was crushed also. That's all we know at the moment, said it would be a long night. We can wait on five, so come up and join us if you like."

JD said" Morgan and I can go up with you, she wants to wait for news about Ava anyway."

Billy nodded. "Good, you'll help me keep DK from going stir crazy up there. He's not handling any of this the greatest right now." 


	17. Out Of Danger?

The group headed to the elevators to go to the fifth floor. Various other squad members said their goodnights and that they would be down in the morning to check in. DK nodded not really hearing much of anything at the moment. His mind was in the operating room with Ava not on what was happening around him or much else.

Bridget held DK from behind when they got into the elevator with Bosco and Billy a few minutes later. It was going to be a long night and DK wondered where his parents were since it had been a while since he'd called them.

They got up to the fifth floor fairly quickly and found the lounge area near the ICU to wait for an update. DK went to one couch in the corner of the room and kind of just sunk down into it. Exhaustion from the events of the day was beginning to set in and his head went slowly backwards to the back of the couch.

Billy sighed softly. He remembered this all too well from what happened with Kate. The waiting was the worst part by far. He walked out the open door to the hall and then noticed DK's parents approaching looking worried and upset.

He said" Hi Mr. and Mrs. Kitson, DK's in there with Bridget, he'll be glad to see you both. It's tough waiting aimlessly like this."

Mary Catherine Kitson said " What do we know about Ava so far? How bad is she?"

Billy gently told her what he knew so far and said that she was still in surgery.

Jake Kitson said" My little girl is a fighter, and she will make it through this one. Had to be with three older brothers who didn't let her be a wimp."

His voice choked a bit as he spoke.

Billy nodded. "I remember a lot of that, between she and Kate I don't know who was tougher in the neighborhood for a while. They both were something."

DK's mom said "That they were. But I like to think that Kate will bring her through this situation somehow."

Billy said" Anything is possible , she needs all the help she can get."

Her dad said "Why would someone burn down her home though with her in it and when can we go see if there is anything left of her life?"

DK said "Dad it was a total loss and the department has to go over it for a few days first to make sure it won't start back up, they think it was set by someone but nobody knows who just yet ."

Billy said "Well then I think I know what the squad is going to be doing, we are going to be getting her a new home built while she's recovering. She's family and we do that for our own."

Then the room was quiet as they waited together for something to give them hope.

Another hour went by and a doctor came out. Her name tag read Torrez. She said" Kitson?" "I am one of the othopedic surgeons who worked on Ava. She had a crushed left hand but we managed to put it back together. She will need many hours of therapy and rehabilitation to regain use of it but we have time for that later. She's stable and in room 502 if you'd like to see her. She is going to be in and out of it, we have her medicated heavily so her body can heal and we'd like you to keep visits brief for now."

DK said "Thank you Doctor for doing everything you could for her."

The doctor replied" It's my pleasure, Ava's a good friend

And a good person, the hospital is rooting for her to get better very soon."

DK's parents headed toward Ava's room to see her first.

Bridget looked at DK for a moment. "Babe why aren't you going in with them?"

He said " I don't know if I can right now , I can't see her like that all wrapped in bandages." His voice cracked. "That's not my sister or how I want to think of her."

Bosco said "Hey it may not be the same thing but it's not going to be my girlfriend and I'm going in there, I had to deal with it with Morgan recently. I'll go in with you man if you want and we can do it together."

DK blinked. "Wow, uh yeah thank you. She did find a good one and I think you need to officially meet my parents. Just be warned my mom might hug you and stuff."

Bosco smiled slightly. "I'm Italian and you already know how my ma is so I can deal ."


	18. Sings Of Improvement

Bosco went into a room with DK and saw a couple in their early to mid fifties sitting there. He nodded at first not sure whether to jump right in and introduce himself or wait until someone did first.

Then DK spoke . "Mom , Dad I wanted you to meet a friend of Ava's and mine . This is Maurice Boscorelli and he works at the police precinct across from our firehouse on our shift. He's recently been in Ava's life and I just wanted you to know him since well she couldn't tell you about him at the moment herself."

"His friends call him Bosco but Ava prefers Reese I think."

DK's father stood up for a moment. "Well , well my daughter with a police officer, I always wondered who the man would be that caught her attention. You're the one who has the sister Morgan?"

Bosco nodded. "That's right, she and your daughter are good friends and coworkers here most days. She's a very good doctor ."

DK's mother said "She wanted to help people , for a time she almost was a paramedic with FDNY but then she had the intelligence to get into college and medical school. "

Bosco shrugged. " Well I did some time with the Army Rangers then came back home and entered the police academy after. My family wasn't well in the position to send me to college though I had the grades to get in."

DK said" Well not everybody is cut out for it, I tried a year and then went for FDNY like my father."

His mother said "And that would be the reason that my hairdresser makes a nice living covering all my gray hair from two firefighters in the family."

Bosco laughed a little. " I think I might just like you maam, you remind me a lot of Ava when you smile."

DK's father said " Well they have the same smile . Though her temper she got straight from Derek here."

Bosco said" Now that I've met you and all I think I'd like a moment with Ava if that's all right. I won't be long , I know you all want to see her as much as you can right now."

DK's mother replied" Take all the time you want, you need to know she's going to be ok, we understand."

DK said" I haven't been in there yet. I couldn't do it, I was there in the ambulance with her when she was brought her and at her townhouse or what's left of it now. That was pretty intense for me ." He looked down at the floor for a moment.

His father said" It's all right , I know you had a long day, go home or go find Bridget and get some rest. We have reservations at the Plaza Hotel tonight and we will be all right to get there."

DK nodded. "I'll check in tomorrow or later."

Bosco went to Ava's room slowly and opened the door. He wasn't prepared for the sight in front of him on the bed. There were tubes and bandages going everywhere on her body and what he could see of her face was swollen and very pale. He moved to her uncovered right hand and gently held it in his. " Baby they really banged you up didn't they?" He spoke softly to her and in a tone of voice that pretty much nobody ever heard .

He saw a piece of her auburn hair fall forward and he smoothed it back with one hand gently. "I'm here and I will be here until you're able to talk to me again. Though I need some help with your brother, he's not doing real good with this. But I'll figure it out, you just concentrate on healing that beautiful body of yours for me." He gently kissed her forehead and stood up to leave her side.

Then her mouth opened slowly. "Reese." It was barely audible and exhausted sounding.

He looked at her. " I'm here honey."

She said" I love you ok?"

He smiled. "More than ok ." Then her eyes fluttered shut again slowly.

He walked out to the waiting area again stopping to get fresh coffee for everybody in there.


	19. A Brother Breaks

Two weeks later: Ava continued to improve slowly and her face began to look better. DK stiil hadn't been to see her and wouldn't talk about it. He was spending the night at his place and not Bridgets lately though it didn't appear that he was getting much sleep. He entered the firehouse and went upstairs not even stopping for his usual coffee cake fix.

JD commented, "Whoa he looks like shit, think we need to do something about that?"

Billy sighed. "I don't know he won't talk about the main thing on his mind which has to be Ava right now. He hasn't even seen my sister in two weeks and she's beginning to wonder why that is."

Alex said" Let me try and if he gets angry then he gets vacation or hydrant until he pulls his head out of his ass."

Billy shrugged. "I don't know what else to do right now so good luck ."

Alex went up the stairs to the bunk area. "Yo Everybody decent up here?"

DK said" Yeah come on up , just me."

Alex went up and stood there looking at her friend for a moment. " You know right now honestly you look like hell. You can't tell me you're sleeping because I know you aren't and you didn't even eat Mrs. Jordana's coffee cake from down the block that she brings by just for you. "

DK said " Got to watch my boyish figure I was getting too soft around the midsection recently."

Alex said "And the part about you blowing off Bridget, what's that about? She getting too clingy now or something for your taste?"

DK's eyes flashed. " What the hell is this ? So I take a break from my girlfriends bed for a while and use mine. Sometimes I do like my place now and then at night after a long day. And I missed one slice of coffee cake ,there will be others and extra for you all downstairs."

Alex said " What about your sister? I hear she's getting better slowly everyday. Been to see her yet or called her in her room?"

DK swallowed. " Ouch you really know how to kick a guy when he's down. Damn Taylor, I thought you were my friend. I thought you'd understand if I couldn't see her like that. I watched her almost die in front of me in the ambulance. But hey forget that , who cares right. "

Alex blinked. "The DK I know would never let his family down like that, think it over."

She went back down the stairs again sighing.

They heard something being thrown against the wall and glass breaking. Then there was total silence upstairs after some thinss shattered.


	20. Things Go Downhill

Authors Note: Thank you Lee for the help with this one, you know why. Some of the words are different but the idea is the same in a sense.

Billy heard the noise from his office of glass breaking and all. He walked out into the bunkroom quietly and saw that DK had finished.

"Did that help?" He asked quietly.

DK replied"No honestly it didn't."

Billy said" Look I am not saying this as either your boss or your friend. When a member of this squad needs time off it is my job to see that they get it. You're a danger to yourself right now and a danger to my squad. I can't have you hurting someone out there while you're in this frame of mind and I also really don't want you hurting yourself out there."

He paused for a moment before speaking again. "Like it or not we're also your family here too, you make the call as to how you deal with it."

DK said "Fine I'll leave then." He got his gear together and started walking out of the room. Glass crunched as he moved down the stairs slowly.

Billy sighed and started to sweep up the mess that his friend had left behind not really seeing what was broken on the floor.

Various framed awards from his locker laid there in pieces from different frames and a few were casual pictures of guys on the squad together and stuff. It looked like a small tornado had erupted in that room when it had only been one mans stress and pent up emotions.

Billy was getting a trash can to put the stuff into when his cell phone beeped.

He answered and exhaled. "Walsh."

His sister Bridget said" Bill have you seen Derek? There is a setback with Ava at the hospital and they said they can't get his cell phone to talk to him. He won't even answer for me either." Her voice cracked slightly.

Billy replied "He was just here, I sent him home after he had a meltdown on shift. Let me see if I can catch him and send him to the hospital."

Bridget replied "Good luck, call me back if you find him."

Billy went down the stairs quickly and found DK just about to go out the front door to the firehouse. He said" You need to go to Angel Of Mercy now man, there is a crisis with Ava."

DK blinked. "What kind, my cell phone didn't ring at all."

Billy said" Bridget just called me and said to find you now and get you down there ."

DK sighed. "Well then I'm going. Doctors like to get people all churned up inside over minor things, I thought your sister knew that."

Billy said" Well since you haven't seen her in weeks , what she does is alian to you now."

DK just walked out with a huge sigh and started his Ford Expedition. It was a metallic gray color with a black pinstripe on the front door.

The truck moved out of the parking lot quickly and down the street.

Billy thought a moment and then dialed another number on his own cell. He said "Bosco, yeah it's Billy. Something is up with Ava and you might want to get to the hospital. No I don't know how bad right now. My sister called when they couldn't reach DK."

" Well keep us posted once you find out. DK's on leave for a while until he gets his act together. Sure we'll come down later. Yeah you too man, bye."

He clicked off the phone and went inside to face the squad for a moment.

" Guys I know right now you all aren't real thrilled with DK. But something has happened with his sister health wise and like it or not he's family. I don't know details but I am getting us cleared to go down there for support. Anyone who wants to hang out here can."

He walked over to the refrigerator and popped open a Pepsi. "I have paperwork to do for downtown but I'll come down later and I need to update the paramedics on things when they are back in here."

They all nodded and moved to other parts of the building to talk among themselves quietly.

Billy headed back upstairs with a plastic cup of ice and his bottle of soda slowly to get back to work again.

Meanwhile , at the hospital : Ava could be heard crying in her bed. "I can't feel my legs , how can I be a doctor if I can't stand up and work and see patients."

The doctor who was in with her said"You suffered a ruptured vertebra in your lower back when you were hurt that night. There were bone chips that moved into your spinal column. We had hoped when the swelling and bruising from the trauma subsided that you would have no lasting damage. Unfortunately we were wrong , this could be temporary ."

Ava looked at the doctor and said" Oh so I might be only disabled for a short time instead of long term, that's really freaking encouraging, get out of my room."

The doctor sighed. "I am truly sorry."

Ava had an empty plastic cup for water and she just threw it at the door not caring if anyone walked through it then. "Leave me the hell alone everybody."

Then DK walked in slowly. " Does that include me sis?" His voice was soft and rough at the moment.


	21. The Uphill Climb Again

Ava said " No , god I've wondered why you weren't here at all but then I realized you were freaked out since you found me that first day . Please come and sit with me."

DK did and then lowered his head into his hands. "I really messed up this time on this one. I went ballistic at work and trashed my locker and then I got mad at Billy when he told me to take time off to deal with all of this. Bridget is probably going to bail on me too. I don't have anything in my life that is steady right now."

Ava nodded. "Well I can't feel my legs at the moment. The doctor said I had a ruptured vertebra or something in my lower back and it affected my spinal column. How long this will be I don't know or if I'll get it back again. How can I practice medcine in an ER and do trauma surgery from a wheelchair Derek?"

Her eyes welled up and one tear slid down her face.

DK just stood up and moved over to her side, hugging her tightly. "I don't know honey but we'll both do it together, I know I haven't been much of a brother lately but I'm here now and I am in your corner."

Ava just hugged him. "That's all I wanted nothing more." She was quiet then as she looked at her brothers face for a moment.

"When did you sleep last and I don't mean the naps at work between calls? I mean real uninterrupted serious restful stuff."

DK shrugged. "Been a little while but I'm ok , I can handle it."

Ava said " I still have the authority to get you admitted in here you know? Even if I am a patient right now myself."

DK sighed. "You wouldn't, would you?"

Ava said "Unless you go find Bridget and apologize to her for your Irish stubborn bullshit pride thing , you can be damned sure I will big brother." Her tone was light but serious as she looked at him.

DK nodded. "Ok then I will, but only if you do something for me in return, I want you if and when Bosco gets down her to let him be here. I know how self reliant you are and independent , but he needs to be here."

Ava exhaled slowly. "All right then I'll do it. But who told him that this happened ? Let me guess Billy."

She sighed. "He'll freak out and bring his whole precinct down here , I didn't want that."

DK said "People do crazy things when they are in love." He gave his sisters hand a squeeze and stood up slowly. "I'll be back in a few hours or so ok , I need to update mom and dad too."

Ava sighed. "All right they should probably know what is the latest."

Then there were footsteps outside the door again.. Bosco could be seen standing there near the window looking inside. He looked worried as he shifted his weight from side to side near the wall.

Then DK came out. "Go ahead in there man, she needs you right now. It's well not good but she's calmed down about what she heard earlier from the doctors."

Bosco said "Thanks man, go take care of yourself ok, this kind of stuff is tough when you are a brother , I have been there myself too much to count."

DK sighed. "I guess you have more than anyone." He started toward the elevator then to head to Bridget's hoping she'd see him right now when he needed her so much.

Bosco went into Ava's room slowly then. "Hey beautiful, having a bad day? What can I do right now?"

She turned to face him and said" You're here with me , that helps a lot. I am uh temporarily paralyzed at the moment, can't feel my legs and they don't know when or if it will come back. I didn't get any treatment options, just kind of threw the doctor out when they told me." Her voice choked a bit and she swallowed audibly.

Bosco was sitting by her side and just held her hand in both of his for a moment. "Listen to me, I am in this for the long haul. If you don't walk again I'm still going to be by your side. I'll still hold you in my arms and stick you understand. I'm not running away from a fight."

Ava moved her head slowly toward his face and kissed him deeply. "I am the lucky one in this room right now. "

Bosco just sat there and kept holding her hand. " They may let Morgan go home tomorrow but she has to take it easy there. JD will totally spoil her more than likely."

Ava said " Would you help me into that wheelchair over there so I can go up and see her? I miss her right now and I need some time with a friend." 

Bosco said "Anything you want baby, maybe a change of scene might do you some good for a little while."

Ava nodded. "I need to tell her about me anyway before she hears some wild rumors."


	22. Smouldering Ashes

Author's Note: This chapter might have some questionable language in it. It's not a happy scene between DK and Bridget who have a fight in their relationship. Just a warning in advance if you offend easily don't read this part. Also the mention of the word blaze comes from Blaze Of Glory. In my mind I could see him saying he wanted to go out that way if it happened one day at one fire. It's her pet name for him also here.

DK walked up the three stairs in front of Bridget's brownstone slowly and spoke into the intercom system at her front door. He said" Derek, mind if I come in?"

At first there was silence and then the door locks clicked open.

She said" Well come in then if you want."

He had some blue carnations in his hand and handed them to her. She put them aside on her hallway table and stood there leaning against the wall.

Then she started speaking. "So I'm good enough for when you feel like a piece of ass in the rack anytime but yet not when your sister is seriously hurt for support."

DK blinked. "Damn why don't you tell me what you really feel then."

She sighed. "Derek I have probably more or less been in love with you since i was fifteen years old. You were Billy's friend then and I had other guys in my life. And now when I finally get what I want and what I dreamed about you blow me off completely. It hurts to be second choice in your life."

She exhaled and looked at him. "I get that your job is stressful, I am the daughter and sister of two firefighters for god sakes, hell I even once thought I'd be a paramedic with the department before I started to love accounting instead."

"What I don't get is you thinking it was cool to just start not talking. I just wanted to be there for you not demand any of your time if you needed space to chill."

DK said" Do I get to speak now or are you just going to ream me out , been there done that today already twice and it wasn't fun for me, got damn tiring after the second person as a matter of fact."

She shrugged and moved to the couch. She was wearing some sweats that had NYU on the back and a tank top that was dark burgundy colored.

DK sighed. "Ok first of all I know what I did to you was totally shitty, I get that. But if you didn't know I haven't told anyone what I felt about my sister. Not even your brother who knows practically everything down to what laundry detergent I use."

"I didn't know what to say to you or how to handle it, I'm not sleeping right. I thought maybe me being up all night would bother you when you need to work early in the morning and all. As for not calling there was no excuse, I just didn't know what to say."

" Today I trashed my locker at work and basically got told to go home or go somewhere until I slept or something by my boss. And then for the capper on a shitty one, my sister is temporarily paralyzed from the waist down at the moment. And the guy who burned her place to the ground is still out there. I've had a hell of a lot up my ass right now including my head and I am damn sorry. If you want me to leave I will go right now and I know that I threw away the one woman who is ever going to put up with my sorry ass."

Bridget looked at him and saw the moisture in his eyes. She'd hardly ever seen him like that. He didn't cry over just anything and she was honestly floored.

She moved to him and gently took his head into her arms and kissed him softly. "Shh it's ok, come on let it out."

He shuddered in her arms for a while and she felt him fighting back emotions as she just continued to hold him tightly. She ran her fingers through his dark brown hair and sat there with him.

"You're exhausted, just let me take you to bed, we'll work the other stuff out later, right now you need to go to sleep before you pass out on your feet."

DK said" I'm sorry for everything, know that I mean it please." He couldn't look into her eyes at that moment.

Bridget took his hand in hers and lead him to her bedroom. Then she pulled the blankets down and gently pushed him onto his side of her bed. " Get some sleep, we are ok for now blaze."

DK looked at her and then curled up under her soft blankets and fell asleep soundly with one of her huge pillows held snugly in his arms under his head.


	23. Incentive

A week later: Ava was getting adjusted to her wheelchair and being in it pretty much. They agreed that she could go outside for short periods of time for fresh air if she liked. She was sitting in the small memorial garden on the roof of her floor when footsteps came up behind her quietly. She turned and saw Bosco standing there. He was in casual clothes so it must not be time for him to go to work yet or a day off.

He moved over to her and held her hand in his. "They tell me you can be released tomorrow and do your physical therapy on an outpatient basis if you want."

Ava looked at him. " I have no where to go right now, I don't want to have my parents hovering around at home if I go there. So I'll be here for a while, you don't need to be."

He blinked. " Well then so that's how it is? You think I should leave because you are still healing without getting my feelings on that?"

Ava shrugged. "You deserve a whole woman not a cripple." Her tone was sharp.

He said " Damn that stung, you don't get it do you? I am here because I want and need to be. I need to see your face and be around you, hear your voice, hell I could very possibly be falling in love with you and you just kicked me right in the teeth." He exhaled slowly and moved back a bit from her.

She said "You want a doctor who can't even walk? The most I can do is one day do charts again for other people , not what I signed up for when I wanted this job."

He said " Then fight back, get your ass on your feet again, even if you don't do surgery there are ways to help this hospital out , you have to want it, I can't do that for you." He planted a hard kiss on her lips and then touched her face.

"Think about that one ,I'll be back later."

She was quite honestly speechless. Then she said "Uh ok I'll see you then."


	24. Finding The Fire

Finding The Fire

Finding The Fire

Ava sat there looking at the garden for a while longer and then wheeled herself back to her room again. If nothing else she had privacy somewhat here. Even though her friends were in and out of her room with gifts and junk food for her on a semi hourly basis. She kept seeing his face when he kissed her and then in their argument before that. It was hard for her to admit needing him in her life or any man. She had always been independent in relationships. She'd dated but until now with Reese it hadn't been serious .

She just looked out the window and wondered if there was anything new with whoever had burned her house down to the ground. Knowing her brothers friends the new one would have everything she needed when she could go home again. They had even mentioned a dog for well assistance, but she hadn't made up her mind yet. How could she go from being one of the top trauma surgeons in the city to this, her new life as a paraplegic.

Maybe he was right though, maybe she needed to find her inner strength and get her Irish up to start the process of getting back on her feet again. Nobody said it couldn't be done , they just said it might take time. She had to get it back to show them that they hadn't stopped her life from going on. Kate wouldn't want her to quit.


	25. Two Days Later

Two days later: Under a certain bridge on the Upper West Side near the Hudson river

Two days later: Under a certain bridge on the Upper West Side near the Hudson river. The RMP sat near some trees and in a shady area that was quiet on this particular Tuesday afternoon. His head was leaned back against the drivers seat and he was silent which for him was very rare at the start of a shift.

Then he felt her nudge him. He knew she would eventually not be able to stand the peace and quiet in the car.

He looked at her. "Yeah Faith?"

She said " Just checking to see if my partner was in this car, you've been quiet , are you feeling all right today?"

He shrugged. " Yeah just have a lot on my mind and I need to work some stuff out. Even I think once in a while hard as that is to believe."

Faith said " Bos, I'm sorry. I guess I just missed you that's all. I mean I know you're still here but it's different lately. You're more serious about things."

He said " Well , you know Ava, the doctor that I've been well dating. She's having a rough time with the paralysis and all . She wanted me to leave her a few days ago and it almost killed me to hear her say that. I know you think this is just another piece of ass and eventually I'll get tired of her since everybody thinks I'm love em and leave em Boscorelli and not made for commitment."

Faith blinked. "Whoa , I never said that about you or listened to the guys when they talked. Just because you had that wild woman Nicole for a while I didn't mean that you couldn't care about someone. If you love her then I am happy for you. I hope she will walk again and get better. If she doesn't wise up she will miss out on someone incredible for her. Would you like me to talk to her?"

He shrugged. "If you want. It was all so intense, I mean when we met she had saved Morgan's life . She blamed herself for not saving Billy Walsh's sister. Was it just the drama of the time or was it real?"

Faith sighed. "Look I may not know everything about how you met or why, but I know you and if she got under your skin and stayed there all these months than it's real . Fight for it and don't give up. She'll come around and if she doesn't then she's a bigger fool than I thought for a doctor. Give her some space and let her miss you a little while. Chances are that might be the best motivation you can give her to get on her feet again. I think she will to get you to go back around her again."

She looked at him. " By the way, when was the last time you had a good greasy cheeseburger from O'Tooles on 75th? I am buying and you are eating. You look thinner and like you need a few days in bed. "

Bosco cracked a grin. "You going all maternal on me Yokas, how sweet. I will take you up on that but only if I can get a double order of onion rings."

She patted his shoulder. "As if I'd take you there and limit you to one? Why I'm shocked and dismayed as someone once said. On our meal break we will go there and then after tonight you're asking Swersky for some down time. I can take the desk for a day or two."

He looked at her. " Thanks Faith, I owe you one."

She said " No you don't, just get the old Bosco back again. It's been way too quiet of late."

He smirked. "That I will do, have I really been acting like that much of a jag off?"

She said " No, more like a man who is growing up and in a real relationship for the first time. "


	26. Taking Some Space

Taking Some Space

Three days later: Bosco was heading back to work and he saw DK outside tossing a small rubber toy to a black dog who was running around excitedly. He had always wanted one a s a kid but his father had never wanted pets because they cost money and he said shit in the back alley or yard and then nobody would clean it up after them.

Why he was thinking about his father today , who knew."

Then DK saw him and stopped what he was doing sending the dog inside with Billy Walsh. He said" Hey my sister says she hasn't seen you in a few days, you doing ok?"

Bosco replied "I was kind of tired, I needed to get some rest and my head needed to get back into the job a little bit. Besides she is the one wondering why I want her if she's in a wheelchair, her words not mine. Can't seem to get it through her head that that doesn't matter to me."

DK sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't know. Ava has a way of letting something good get away from her. I knew you cared about her or you wouldn't have been there all this time. Want me to talk to her? I would do that."

Bosco shrugged. "Good luck with that, if you want to help. I don't know what to say anymore about us. I'm in this until she tells me she wants me out of it. That's the truth and that's all I want to say about it right now."

DK nodded. "Sorry , I'll see what I can do on my end. I know where to find you if I get anywhere. If you want a beer after some of us are going to throw darts and shoot pool at Haggerty's."

Bosco said "I could use a beer and something else to think about for a while. Is Doherty going?"

DK said "No he went on vacation with his latest squeeze, some neurologist over at Angel of Mercy, she wanted to go to the Bahamas for a week."

Bosco chuckled. "Maybe she can figure out why he has women on the brain huh?"

DK laughed. "That might just be beyond all reason."


	27. Chapter 27

Time Marches Forward and a Big Surprise

Eight months later: Ava had returned to work again and was ironically back on her feet and able to do trauma surgery once again. She sometimes got tired more quickly after long surgeries but in general was a miracle case. Two nights a week she spoke to the patients that had spinal injuries for the hospital .

She was taking a coffee break when a nurse came into the lounge for her. " Doc, your boyfriends brother is named Michael right?"

Ava swallowed the coffee she had just sipped and replied "Yes, why? What happened?"

Paige replied" He was just brought in, looks like he was the victim of one really bad beating . he's got severe head trauma. They are taking him up to ICU until the family can get here but it doesn't look good."

Ava sighed. Life had been so good lately for herself and for Reese and now this. He'd be devastated. She said "I'm going up there and see what his condition is and then I'll call him. God, how do I tell him about this? "

The nurse sighed. "For what it's worth I'm sorry. Nobody should hear this kind of shit honestly about someone they love."

Ava nodded. "Truer words were never spoken my friend." Then she stood up carrying a styrofoam coffee cup in her hand as she headed up to the Intensive Care Unit. She hated that place sometimes having been there herself not that long ago.

She got into the elevator and went to the seventh floor. She walked up to the nurses station and said "Can anybody tell me about Michael Boscorelli's condition? He is my boyfriend's brother and before I call him I'd like to know how bad it is."

One of the nurses stood up. " Honestly it's a miracle he survived to get up here. One side of his face is completely beaten in and he has swelling in his brain. Doctor Kovac doesn't think he will make it through the next forty eight hours. So whoever needs to talk to him should be called down."

Ava nodded. "Are there other injuries besides his face and head?" The nurse said" Broken left hand, like someone stepped on it, bruised ribs, someone kicked him too, he's black and blue all over."

Ava was quiet. "Damn." "Thank you I'll make sure his family is here very soon."

Then she walked back into the waiting area on that floor which was vacant and closed the door behind her. She pushed the lock button and then got her cell phone out to dial Bosco's precinct. There was the number.

Then she waited for an answer. " This is Doctor Ava Kitson from Angel Of Mercy Hospital, is there anyway I could reach Officer Maurice Boscorelli regarding his brother?"

The person who answered her said"Ava it's Faith, how can I help?"

Ava replied" Mike was beaten very badly. He really needs to get down here as soon as possible , can you find him? And by the way why aren't you out on the road with him right now?"

Faith replied" I twisted my ankle yesterday chasing someone and Lieu wants me on the desk for just a precaution. I got checked out by a paramedic next door but he still wanted me to go easy."

Ava said " Please tell him to come down here I'll meet him on the seventh floor in the ICU lounge . I need to tell Morgan and his mom somehow."

Faith said" I'll tell the boss and see who wants to come down. Bosco will need us no matter how this turns out."

Ava said"Thank you Faith, I appreciate that."

Then she hung up and dialed Morgan's number. JD answered. She said "hey J, it's Ava is Morgan there?"

He replied "She's in the shower why. " Ava replied" could you bring her down to the hospital ICU when she gets finished, It's about her brother Mike and it's not good. I hate doing this over the phone but she and her mom should really get down here. I am trying to get in touch with Bosco too but no luck as yet."

JD said "I will bring her down soon, I know it's on seven. Thanks Ava, sorry you're having such a crappy night down there."

A few minutes later: Ava dialed her brothers cell phone. She needed his voice right now. He was on a double shift tonight that much she knew. There was one once a month for him usually.

Then he answered. " Kitson." She replied" Hey , I needed to talk to my brother, is that ok? Could you find me salt and vinegar chips, the jumbo bag?"

DK said "Uh sure hon, but what happened? I'll get them at the bodega down the block in the morning and drop them off at your place after."

She said " Bosco's brother was beaten up really bad tonight. He's not good at all D and I don't know how I am going to get him through this. They think it was drug related. I'm waiting for him near the ICU until the family comes. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I am glad you made me fight for him."

DK said "I love you too and if you need me, call me ok? I'll be at your place when I am done in the morning for coffee. For what it's worth tell Bosco we will all think good thoughts about Mike ok?"

Ava replied" He will appreciate that a lot. Right now a miracle is needed. I'll see you at eight forty five tomorrow, breakfast is on me at Dominic's, the usual booth big brother."

DK said "I'm there . Order me extra hashbrowns with the chocolate chip pancakes if you get there ahead of me."

She laughed softly. "As if I would do any other thing and hey elephant shoes."

He replied "elephant shoes to you too."

That was their code thing for I love you, they had used it since they were they were kids when they thought that I love you mouthed from a distance made them think people were saying elephant shoes. She chuckled softly to herself and then opened the door and sat down to wait for the Boscorelli's to get there and no doubt Sully.


	28. Chapter 28

Twenty Eight

How do I tell him Ava thought as she paced the floor in the Intensive Care Unit lounge. I hate this kind of stuff. It was so hard with Kate and now I have to shatter Maurice's world. God Mike why were you involved with drugs in the first place? I don't even really know you and now I have to wreck your family because you're in my hospital. She sighed and then he walked in. "How's my brother? They told me to go back to the house from off the street and nothing else that he was here and not good."

Ava sighed. "Let me page Doctor Kovac, she's the neurologist on call. All I can say is that he's not going to come back from this, I am very sorry. Someone beat him very nearly to death tonight. I am sorry for you and for your family."

He said " So what are we looking at time wise? Like a few hours or what?"

Ava said "They said the next forty eight will be a miracle. I hate this. I'm off at seven am. Do you want me to wait with you until your mom and Morgan get here?"

He sighed. "No, I am sure Sully will be down, I always dreaded this day . I didn't want to outlive my brother not this way. I don't know how I am going to get Ma through this one. My father is not a factor, he left just before ma found out she was pregnant with Morgan. Thank god because she didn't live with him or know him like I did."

Ava just hugged him. "I am sorry honey. I hate this, it reminds me too much of Kate. I hate telling families this kind of thing always have. But I will wait with you , do you want to see him? He's right next door . I can go with you."

He said "How bad will he look?" "I mean it won't be Mike right?"

Ava said" No he's got bandages over his head and he's very bruised and swollen in his face. He has a broken left hand, several broken ribs where he was severely kicked, and we had to place him on a ventilator as well. He will look like he is asleep however. Until well other decisions are made. His kidneys are in decent shape so those well could be donated if well when we get there."

He looked at her with a coldness in his eyes. "I want to see my brother and then I will figure out how to tell my mother that he's dying. I'm not cutting him open."

Ava said" Well follow me and the nurses have my pager if well anyone has questions. I am going back down to the ER then , I'll see you at home later?"

He nodded. "Yeah sometime."

Ava sighed as she went to the elevator. She hoped he wouldn't shut her out, not now. But then Derek had told her when Boscorelli's got emotional they tended to circle the wagons . Well she'd be there even if he tried to push her out of his life.


	29. He returns home

Two weeks later: Ava had helped the Boscorelli's deal with saying goodbye to Michael in the most calm way possible. But yet she had not heard from him. She assumed he was still at his mothers or working anything but turning to her. Then one night after a long busy shift she was just getting out of the shower and had her body wrapped in a big towel when the door to her house opened slowly. She picked up her cell phone and quickly tied on her bathrobe over her still wet body.

Then she slowly moved out of the bathroom and saw him standing there. He looked exhausted and underweight too. For a moment she just looked at him and then said" So you remembered you lived here after all Maurice? Two weeks and Faith has been calling here more than you have it seems. And can i say i don't like her all that much."

He sighed. "I know i am a shit head but i just buried my little brother , and i needed some time to deal."

She looked at him. "And i was there for you, all you had to do was reach out. I have been through this before myself. No not with my brother but i loved Kate walsh like my sister that i never had. You remember Kate right? That messed me up for over a year. Then i love you and you just disappear because i was the doctor who told you Mike was not going to come back. I love you damn it."

He sighed. "You know what my family was like, we weren't touchy feely like yours is. The only time my old man touched me was usually smacking me around before he finally walked out. I have always been the protector and now i have nobody to protect anymore."

His blue eyes were dim looking and moist.

She sighed. "You need to be asleep right now Reese and then you are eating something. Also i'd like you to have some time off work because i hear you have been putting in triple shifts. And i will call Swersky if need be. Then we will have a serious discussion about what living with someone means to me. You don't get to just disappear from me baby. Not if you want us to have a future together."


	30. Rebuilding

Bosco touched Ava's arm. "Before you decide that you want me out of

here for the last few weeks I need to do something first doc."

He turned her so that she was gently against one of the living room walls and then kissed her lips with some heat behind it. "Tell me if you still want me gone now."

She was breathless for a moment and then just pulled him toward her. " I don't want you gone , I just want you to know that someone is here for you and will be until we decide that we don't want to be for each other. Where did you go for two weeks when it was time to go home at night?"

He sighed. " I know you're not going to like this but I had to work anti crime again for a while. That's probably why Faith was calling here so much. They wanted me to take Cruz down or help with that and I couldn't tell anyone, even you until it was done. I had to act like I wanted her romantically, when my mind was only on you the whole time. "

Ava looked at him. "Did you sleep with her for this job?"

He replied " Hell no, that's the one line I got to draw. I only want in a bed with one woman for the near future and she's standing here in a bathrobe with wet hair looking at me. I said if I had to go there they'd need someone else ."

Ava ran her fingers through his hair and gently kissed him. "I missed you so much. I thought I'd lost you because I couldn't save Mike for you. He is the only other person that I wished I could besides Kate. " her eyes got watery looking then for a moment.

He looked at her . "No baby I don't blame you for that, my brother made his choices. Do I miss him, hell yeah I always will but the life he lived was his own way." "I need you, this time that I was away the only thing that helped me stay cool and calm was thinking about coming home to you again." Then a yawn interrupted him.

Ava smiled. "You are about out on your feet my love, let's get you a few hours sleep and then some hot food. What about a hot bath?"

He looked at her for a moment. "Ok as long as whatever you put in it isn't like too girly, they'd never let me alone at work if I went in smellin like roses or something."

She smiled. "I have some vanilla and coconut that you may like. You need to be off work for a while, you could get sick if you don't distress babe. That isn't a suggestion , I still am going to talk to Swersky."

He sighed. "Ok you win, but let me handle Faith, I have a lot of explaining to do to her unless this hits the papers before we talk. She's got no love for Cruz and sometime when you want to hear a really long story I'll explain why."

Ava nodded. "Not tonight, this is for us. Though I need to call my brother and make sure the whole firehouse isn't waiting for you when you are back to work again. I have the next two days to be with my man free and I am using every second of it."


	31. Chapter 31

A day later: Ava was getting out of the shower and put on a robe that she had gotten from maurice in a pale blue silk type material. Then she heard music playing in the bedroom. She went there after towel drying her hair and heard " wonderful tonight" by eric clapton. Candles flickered around the room and it was intimate.  
Then he got down on one knee slowly and said "Ava, i'm not the greatest with words sometimes but i love you and i want you in my life forever."  
"Will you marry me ?"

Ava looked at him for a moment and then a huge smile crossed her face. "Yes i will marry you, you remembered my favorite song and wow."  
He smiled at her. "Then i think this ring should go on your finger shouldn't it and make it official?" he slid a ruby ring onto her left hand gently.

She said "You even remembered that i didn't want a diamond, that i liked rubies best ." She kissed him for a moment . " I love you so much."

He replied" For a time i never thought i'd do this but now that i have i can't imagine it being with anyone else but you doc. Thank you."

She held his hand. " For what?" "You are the amazing one that just took my breath away right now."

He said " Just for being beautiful you and loving me now and forever Ava Michelle Kitson."


End file.
